Update: 14.04.2023
Following the extensive damage caused by a devastating earthquake in Turkey on 6 February, the port of Iskenderun was closed until further notice. Although, repairs to infrastructure are ongoing, the port said it is ready to begin receiving containerships once again.
“The port will initially start accepting feeders in April and then larger containerships will start arriving in May, ” directorate head Unal Baylan told Lloyd’s List,
Cosco's Contship Sea deployed on its LGX1 service is scheduled to arrive at Iskenderun early tomorrow, 17 April. The carrier has announced that available capacity will be initially limited.
In addition, Maersk announced it had conducted its first trial run of port calls in Iskenderun this week with the arrival of Maersk Durban on 12 April,
"We expect to have regular weekly calls with mobile cranes and limited productivity at first, and we will evaluate the continuation of services based on the outcome of trials. While acceptance to and from Iskenderun remains closed for now, this will be re-evaluated after trials in May, " said Maersk.
According to Kuehne+Nagel, ONE has also announced it plans to resume its service to Iskenderun in mid-June.
Since the closure of the port, congestion has increased at the port Mersin, the largest alternative container terminal available in the earthquake zone. According to seaexplorer, the 7-day average vessel waiting time in Mersin remains high at more than 4 days.
Update: 28.03.2023
On 6 February, following a devastating earthquake, the port of Iskenderun closed until further notice. In addition to structural damage at LimakPort Iskenderun, a fire broke out amongst several containers. A total of 3,670 containers were damaged, requiring an extensive clean-up operation. Since the earthquake, carriers have diverted cargo to other regional ports, including Mersin.
According to Kuhne+Nagel sources, below is an update on the affected ports/terminals in Turkey:
Iskenderun
• Limak: One berth will be back in operation at the beginning of April, using mobile cranes only. Diamond Line has announced it will call the port from 8 April. ONE expects to start port calls in mid-June. Details of the service are to be confirmed.
• Assan: The port is working but facing major operational issues. There is currently no information on berthing windows or operating services available.
Mersin
The container yard is heavily congested, and gate restrictions are in place. According to Kuehe+Nagel's Seaexplorer, the 7-day average vessel waiting time for Mersin is around five days.
If you require further information on your shipments to these ports, please get in touch with your Kuehne+Nagel representative.
Original article: 06.02.2023
An earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck south-eastern Turkey in the early hours of Monday, 6 February. Hundreds are feared dead as buildings collapsed while people were still asleep. Turkey has declared a state of emergency in affected provinces as rescuers work fast to save those trapped beneath the rubble.
According to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, more than forty aftershocks have been felt ever since, reaching as far as Lebanon, Israel and Cyprus. The epicentre was near the city of Gaziantep, close to the Syrian border. An additional nine major cities in the area were affected, including Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Adana and Mersin.
The port of Iskenderun suffered some damage, including collapsed container stacks, overturned trucks, and damaged roads. It is not yet clear what the degree of operational impact is at the port. The port of Mersin, which also felt the effects of the earthquake, appears unaffected, according to Kuehne+Nagel representatives.
Some seismologists believe this could have been the largest earthquake to hit Turkey, one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the world. Most of Turkey sits on the Anatolian tectonic plate, found between major Eurasia and African plates and the Arabian plate in the east. As the Arabian plate pushes into the Eurasian plate, significant earthquakes occur across the country.
